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If you're looking for a good route, you've come to the right place!Thu, 18 Oct 2018 01:07:57 +0000en-AUhourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.839 - New 4WDs and Utes coming out with Robert Pepperhttps://4x4earth.com/podcasts/39-new-4wds-and-utes-coming-out-with-robert-pepper/
https://4x4earth.com/podcasts/39-new-4wds-and-utes-coming-out-with-robert-pepper/#commentsMon, 03 Sep 2018 07:51:53 +0000https://4x4earth.com/?p=630We talk with Robert Pepper about some new 4WDs coming out - Jeeps, Defenders, and the Ford Raptor.

]]>Robert recently drove the new Ford Raptor recently and he gives us his opinion on what it is like to drive. We talk about the engine and where you could drive the Raptor. What would it be like towing? Would Robert buy one?

Jeep Wrangler Ute! This will be due out next year and looks really interesting. A ute will fix one of the big problems with the Jeep - lack of space in the cabin, so it will be very popular. I am pretty keen on checking it out.

What does Robert think about the Colorado ZR1? Is it something that is worth a look or is it a skip?

What is it that is causing the recent spate of utes that snap their chassis? Is it related to overloading?

We also discuss tyre pressure management systems. TPMS are becoming increasingly popular - are they worth the money.

Navarra D40s - is there an issue with the automatic transmission on them when you take them offroad?

Lastly, we bid farewell to Pete Brett, AKA Mr Rum, a regular around a lot of campfires around NSW, Victoria and South Australia. Mr Rum was out driving through the Victorian High Country when he went around a blind corner and there was a tree across the road. Despite traveling very slowly, the icy road meant he slid of the side of the road and down the gully. Our condolences to Jen and Steve and the rest of his family and friends.

Join the conversation about the 4x4earth podcast on the 4x4earth forum. www.4x4earth.com is Australia's largest free and independent 4 wheel driving website with over 200,000 visits per month.

If you are loving 4x4earth.com, check out the 4x4earth Merch. The sales help to keep Australia's largest free and independent 4 wheel drive website and the largest Australian 4x4 Podcast! It helps us to keep on doing the work to keep tracks open.

]]>We look at the number of people who don't finish the Dakar Rally. It is a very tough course, expensive to compete in and there is some unforgiving terrain, so the failure rate is very high.

The vehicles aren't stock, so they are heavily modified to make them capable of surviving the terrain at speed, whilst trying to keep the weight as low as possible. There are some fundamental changes to the vehicle, including moving the radiator to behind the cabin. There is nothing in the car that doesn't need to be there.

Recovery is another issue. You have to be able to self recover, so vehicle design is done with recovery as a big issue.

Bruce talks about how the change in temperature in the sand dunes can make a big difference in how hard the driving is.

We talk about the mental preparation that you need to be a Dakar Rally driver. How can you prepare to do some epic Big Dune driving.

We look at the technique required to drive down Big Dunes. It is not as easy as it looks and getting the technique correct is really important.

Bruce talks about the Australian Safaris, which was a smaller version of the Rally. It no longer runs because of the cost to run the event, which is sad.

The Redex trials were a precursor to all of this and gave a big boost to the Australian 4 wheel drive industry.

The Rallies are a big bart of 4WD tourism, and in countries like Chile, hundreds of thousands of tourists go to Chile to visit some of the places that are highlighted by the Dakar Rally and the Desert Challenge.

We discuss Bruce's experience as a mechanic and the kinds of things that he learnt that helped him with his Rally driving.

We talk about some of his driving in Asian countries.

Join the conversation about the 4x4earth podcast on the 4x4earth forum. www.4x4earth.com is Australia's largest free and independent 4 wheel driving website with over 200,000 visits per month.

If you are loving 4x4earth.com, check out the 4x4earth Merch. The sales help to keep Australia's largest free and independent 4 wheel drive website and the largest Australian 4x4 Podcast! It helps us to keep on doing the work to keep tracks open.

]]>https://4x4earth.com/podcasts/38-driving-really-really-fast-with-bruce-garlard-4wd-and-dakar-rally-driver/feed/037 - Bruce Garland Rally driving offroad at high speed.https://4x4earth.com/podcasts/37-bruce-garland-rally-driving-offroad-at-high-speed/
https://4x4earth.com/podcasts/37-bruce-garland-rally-driving-offroad-at-high-speed/#respondThu, 02 Aug 2018 01:15:43 +0000https://4x4earth.com/?p=612We talk to Bruce Garland about his rally driving experiences around the world. He has driven a series of high powered 4WD vehicles around a lot of exotic places, many times at high speed. What does it take to do offroad rally driving at the highest level?

]]>If you are loving 4x4earth.com, check out the 4x4earth Merch. The sales help to keep Australia's largest free and independent 4 wheel drive website and the largest Australian 4x4 Podcast! It helps us to keep on doing the work to keep tracks open.

We talk with Bruce Garland about rally driving offroad, who has a huge amount of experience in 4WD rally driving around the world and at high speed. He has done some awesome rallies and we look at how he got started and why and what adventures he has had.

Bruce shares his experiences doing the Dakar rally. He talks about driving some of the huge dunes.

What does it talk to do a Dakar rally? What kind of driving is it? What do you have to do to be in the Dakar? How much does it cost? What is the role of the rally support team?

How do you navigate in a race where there are no roads and you are travelling at 150 km / h?

How dangerous is the Dakar rally? Dehydration and fatigue can create significant problems for drivers and navigators?

Bruce has done 5 Dakars and is one of Australia's most experienced rally drivers and has some amazing stories to share.

We talk about the accident that broke Bruce's back and how he recovered from it.

]]>https://4x4earth.com/podcasts/37-bruce-garland-rally-driving-offroad-at-high-speed/feed/036 - Robe Rollover Weekend. What happened and how to avoid it - Part IIhttps://4x4earth.com/podcasts/36-robe-rollover-weekend-what-happened-and-how-to-avoid-it-part-ii/
https://4x4earth.com/podcasts/36-robe-rollover-weekend-what-happened-and-how-to-avoid-it-part-ii/#respondMon, 23 Jul 2018 05:19:50 +0000https://4x4earth.com/?p=609What tips are there for taking your 4WD onto the beach so that you can avoid carnage?

]]>We continue our discussion with Brian, one of the 4x4earth moderators about the Robe Rollover weekend.

We discuss tyre pressures. Too many people don't deflate or they deflate enough. What is the right tyre pressure? How often should you check the tyre pressure?

What equipment do you need?

People see a lot of ads on TV about 4WDs driving along the sand at high speed with sand going everywhere. Is this realistic? Should you drive like that? Did this contribute to the Robe Rollover weekend?

What factors contribute to rollovers?

What time of day is the best for 4 wheel driving down on the beach?

What about gears? High or Low? Second or Third? How should you be thinking about the gears as you drive through the sand?

Don't forget your sand flag!

We finish up with a discussion about the importance of trip leaders. They are fundamental in helping new owners of 4 wheel drives to help them get off road and have a great time and make sure that they go out offroad for a second time.

Also the Granites.

Have you ever driven up onto the Granites and taken a photo?

Someone had when we went there. The track marks are fresh. Could this be one of the most iconic 4 wheel drive photos that you can get with your 4 wheel drive?

Join the conversation about the 4x4earth podcast on the 4x4earth forum. www.4x4earth.com is Australia's largest free and independent 4 wheel driving website with over 200,000 visits per month.

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]]>https://4x4earth.com/podcasts/36-robe-rollover-weekend-what-happened-and-how-to-avoid-it-part-ii/feed/035 - A weekend of 4WD carnage at Robehttps://4x4earth.com/podcasts/35-a-weekend-of-4wd-carnage-at-robe/
https://4x4earth.com/podcasts/35-a-weekend-of-4wd-carnage-at-robe/#respondTue, 29 May 2018 07:58:36 +0000https://4x4earth.com/?p=603We look at the recent long weekend trip to Robe and why there were 4WD rollovers on that weekend.

]]>We talk to Brian, one of the 4x4earth moderators about a long weekend away at Robe where 5 4WDs rolled over.

What happened? Why?

We also talk about the Granites. Have you been to the Granites? Have you driven up there? Is a 4WD up on the rock one of the most iconic 4 wheel drive selfy shots?

Brian talks about the 32 mile crossing and then on to 42 mile crossing for lunch.

On the way back there is a vehicle stuck with a tyre rolled off the rim and the vehicle was bogged well down in the sand near the water's end, forcing the convoy to take a high line around the bogged truck. Trev hits a tuft of weed and has a slow rollover. Brian talks about how they recover Trev's car and the vehicle that was originally bogged.

Why didn't they try to start the vehicle? How did they get him off the beach?

Brian talks about the recoveries and how no one gets left behind. There were 5 rollovers in 1 weekend at Robe.

Brian talks about his favourite track, around Arkaroola, which is an amazing part of Australia. I had never heard of it, it is definitely a hidden gem in Australia.

]]>https://4x4earth.com/podcasts/35-a-weekend-of-4wd-carnage-at-robe/feed/034 - 4 wheel driving and track access with Ron Moonhttps://4x4earth.com/podcasts/34-4-wheel-driving-and-track-access-with-ron-moon/
https://4x4earth.com/podcasts/34-4-wheel-driving-and-track-access-with-ron-moon/#respondMon, 07 May 2018 00:00:50 +0000https://4x4earth.com/?p=601Ron talks about the High Country, Robe and South America. Ron travelled through Brazil and Argentina. We talk 4 wheel tourism. Which state does Ron think is doing the best… More »

Ron's got a couple of vehicles, and has driven the world in them. Which is his favourite 4WD and what modifications has he done to it?

Ron Moon discusses his time in the Army, and how he transitioned to freelance writing, with a trip through Africa. He talks about his time as editor of 4x4 Australia and now being the editor at large.

We discuss navigation in the days before GPS.

Ron Moon shares his experiences in travelling the world. We discuss the differences between 4 wheel driving the in United States compared to Australia. What kind of tracks do they have, what kind of driving is it and what kind of mods do they do?

How does Ron Moon rate the Victorian High Country compared to everything that he has seen?

]]>https://4x4earth.com/podcasts/32-tips-driving-canning-stock-route/feed/031 - The new 2018 Ford Ranger Raptor - What have they done??https://4x4earth.com/podcasts/31-new-2018-ford-ranger-raptor-done/
https://4x4earth.com/podcasts/31-new-2018-ford-ranger-raptor-done/#commentsMon, 12 Feb 2018 05:33:42 +0000https://4x4earth.com/?p=580We talk with Robert Pepper about the 2018 Ford Ranger Raptor. The specs on the engine are a lot less than expected. Is this still going to be a contender or will the engine kill off it's popularity?

]]>This was going to be my new Ute. The rumours were that it was going to have a new 3.6 litre Petrol engine with a lot more power. The Ecoboost engine was meant to have 336kW and 690Nm. The new diesel has 147kW and 470Nm.

We discuss with Robert Pepper, renowned 4WD journalist about -

What has Ford done?

Why has Ford done it?

What is the Raptor all about?

Should I by it?

We also look at the shocks, gearbox and the tyres. At least with BF Goodrich tyres is a serious statement from Ford that the Raptor is meant to go offroad.

When first announced, people were putting deposits down on the Raptor without knowing the price, which is pretty amazing. How will the reaction be once people know what the specs are going to be.

It will be interesting to see how the Baja mode works, it does sound like it will be a bit of fun to drive offroad, but the other question is where can we take one of these to really give it a good go and drive it to it's full potential.

We also talk about how some of the pressures of modern vehicle design are shaping what is possible for vehicle designers. The smaller engine is part of a trend. It is a bit of a surprise that it is a diesel. We've spoken before about the death of diesel.

The reaction to the engine size has not been great, it will be interesting to see what the final price for the Raptor ends up as. It will be more expensive than the Wildtrak, but just how much will be interesting to see.

Robert gives an example of how the comparing engine and gearbox pairings and how the performance of the new 10 speed gearbox in the Raptor will be really important to how powerful the Raptor feels. The bi-turbo will also assist with off the line performance.

]]>Between 1,500 and 2,000 a year do the Canning Stock Route. What is there to see and what is there to do when travelling the CSR.

We talk with Canning Stock Route expert, Phil Binachi about the activities and attractions on the stock route.

The dune systems are an amazing site and an amazing driving experience.

There is a large amount of aboriginal art some of which is incredibly old.

There are of course, the wells and a number of graves.

We discuss the work of Track Care and how they are working to maintain the tracks.

Phil talks about how the 4 wheel drivers are working together with conservationalists to ensure ongoing access to the tracks.

We discuss the concept of 4WD Tourism and the effect that it has on the economy of Australia as a whole and for rural towns in particular.

We talk about the access to the Canning Stock Route. What parts are open and which parts are effected by the weather.

We answer the big question - how long should you take to do the Canning Stock Route and which way should you travel the Canning?

North to South or South to North, which way should you go? Phil talks about where you can get your repairs done, which is a bit factor in travelling the Canning. It is 1,800kms and there is a high chance of vehicle damage, so thinking about repairs is an important part of doing the Canning.